


Tomb for a Fool

by Lone_TheTraveler



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: M/M, Magic, Magical Labyrinth, Oni Genji, Sorceress Mei, assorted monsters - Freeform, oni hanzo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-27
Updated: 2019-11-05
Packaged: 2020-01-31 20:41:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18599032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lone_TheTraveler/pseuds/Lone_TheTraveler
Summary: Some things are too good to be true.  Jesse should have known it when he heard a friendly sorceress has just the spell book he needs to get home, or at the least, he should have been prepared for two oni to drop in and ruin it all.





	1. Chapter 1

It's been years since Jesse's set foot in a desert, but the landscape never fails to make him feel at home. The coarse, flat ground and tough, sparse foliage are laced with familiarity. There's comfort in the landscape's solitude. The kind that reminds him of long nights spent traveling across the vast expanse of the uncharted, the unexplored, and the wild.

It matters less now. The whole area's been mapped proper. Laid out so even the most well to do of folks can come tramping through with confidence, their GPS devices leaving nothing to the imagination. Not that the mapping doesn't have its uses. The little jeep he bounces across a half-finished road in is hooked up to a GPS, its bright screen carving out a neat blue path through the dust for him to follow. Glancing at its overhead view, he can't help but think flying would be faster.

Flying. He bites back a groan as the idea sends a fresh, persistent ache along his spine. Flying is what's got him into this position to begin with. If he hadn't been such a fool. If he'd just waited and done what he was told, squashed his reckless sense of justice for just one day--

He quickly curtails the idea. Trees. Focus on the Joshua Trees. Spot the shapes between their limbs, count the trunks as they pass, take note of the way one on the left juts out at a near right angle. Soon enough, he buries his woes beneath a mound of spiny leaves.

Not long after, the trees begin to break, leading way for a tiny shack a distance off the main road.

From the outside, it doesn't appear to be much. A simple wood cabin with a cheap tin roof. At its front, a small porch adorns the entrance with a sagging awning and lopsided wooden steps. Most of the boards in the building's construction look like they've been there for centuries, preserved only by the dry heat of the surrounding desert. If it weren't for the carefully maintained gravel drive leading to shack's yard, Jesse would've marked it as uninhabited.

 _Almost marked it._ Jesse muses as he kills the engine of the jeep.

In the absence of engine's electrical whine, a steady hum fills the air with a sound not far from the drone of cicadas. To the untrained ear, in fact, that's exactly what it sounds like. Just a thousand tiny bugs calling their next mate. Listen closer, though, and a rhythmic pattern emerges. A single low tone, buried in the hum like a chant, beating through the air and settling right at the base of Jesse's stomach. He's got enough experience with magic craft to know it's a ward of some kind, and a powerful one. Strong enough to keep humans out and ward off the interest of any unwanted demonic visitors. It's standard, something one expects to encounter when approaching a sorceress's personal library. And thankfully, it doesn't seem to keen on keeping him out. If his luck holds like this, he'll be in and out with little fanfare, simply asking for the required tome and on his way home.

The cords of Jesse's heart tighten. Home. How long has it been since he's seen his Elysium? Days, months, years? His feet are still solid on the dry earth beneath him, so it can't have been too long, can it? It gets so hard to tell with time. So irrelevant are the seconds, the minutes, the days that tick by when saddled with eternity.

Still, there is no time for such thoughts now. When he's finished, he'll have a thousand lifetimes to mull over the answers, but only if he acts.

In a flash of red light, the air turns to fire. It burns like newspaper in a stoked flame, withering away and sending a black plume shooting into the sky with the ferocity of a volcano. The fire never touches Jesse, but its release of energy knocks him back, crushing him against the ground until he's able to scramble into a low crouch. By the time he registers what's happening, it's over.

The air hangs still. Silent.

Jesse has to force himself to breath. The mere motion of breath along the back of his throat deafening in the former din's absence.

Two creatures land at the base of the shack's steps, sending up a cloud of dust and soot in a near perfect ring. They loom before the wooden structure, each inhumanly large. Their backs are to him, giving him a full view of round, sparsely feathered wings patterned in bold, leathery ridges of red and white. Even from his distance, he can see how tough the skin is. Tough and powerful, enough to lift the humanoid bodies of the creatures into flight.

The sight alone is enough to send a deep, dull pain out to the tips of what were once Jesse's own wings. A cruel reminder of absent flesh.

Flexing the muscles of his back, he forces the feeling down. It won't do to dwell on what was.

Steadily, he rises to his full height, brushing his hands against the dry shrubs around him to give the creatures ample time to know his presence. “Howdy there, fellas.” He calls, praying—in the moment—they at least understand English.

The creatures turn to face him, and immediately, he can recognize them as demons. With their orc-ish mouths, horns, and patterned faces, they couldn't be anything but. Which, though, Jesse can't place; prompting a swift mental kick for never bothering to properly browse a demonic compendium.

One of the demons—specifically the smaller one with smiling eyes and restless wings—sizes up Jesse with a quick glance. _“A human?”_ He says, the words tossed about casually in Japanese to the other demon. _“Should we eat him?”_

The other—a man with a face as sharp as the horns on his head—cuts back a swift: _“No.”_ Then to Jesse in English: “What is your business, human?”

Jesse bites the inside of his cheek to tame a smile worming its way across his lips. Human. Perhaps at one point, yes. But now...well, it explains their docile response to his appearance. “Just lookin' to know what brings a couple demons to the house of a sorceress.”

Concern sprouts along the brow of the smaller demon. _“Could he be the mage?”_

 _“I do not believe so.”_ Replies the other, his face a controlled, unreadable mask. He approaches Jesse, the change in view serving only to accent the harsh lines of his features. “That is not your concern. Leave now, lest you make yourself my brother's next meal.”

Jesse lets his hand rest on the familiar stock of his revolver—Peacekeeper—where it's holstered at his belt. “I'm not leavin'. I need to get in that library just as much as you do.”

“Then you have sealed your fate.” The demon pauses to switch language. _“Do with him what you will, Genji.”_

The restless demon—presumably Genji—flexes his clawed fingers, and bars his long, sharp teeth with a grin. He lunges forward only to jerk to a stop as he's met with Jesse's quickly drawn revolver.

“I wouldn't be so quick to jump.” Jesse says, staring down the demon's hollow eyes, “Whatever you're after, I guarantee you won't be able to get without me.”

Genji sneers, flicking a long, pointed tongue across over-sized incisors. “What could you possible offer that we don't already have?”

“I'm familiar with the sorceress, Or at least her type. ” Jesse shrugs, stepping around the two demons until he's planted himself between them and the shack. Not once does he allow Peacekeeper to lower itself from Genji. “She's a priest, as I'm sure you know, which means she'll have plenty a' traps and tricks aimed at dissuading any demonic intruders. And I'm what you're after is gonna be guarded with enough holy magic to melt you just by lookin' at it. Why take the risk when I could bypass it all without lifting a finger?”

Genji's tongue clicks along his teeth as he considers the offer. For a moment, his motion stills as he turns to his brother, “ _He makes a valid offer._ ”

The brother glares down at Jesse. Even with hollow, empty eyes, he manages a glare as piercing and scrutinizing as those meant to judge the souls of the dead. “What do you stand to gain from this arrangement?” The demon says, speaking slowly, but certainly.

“Ah, now we're getting somewhere.” Jesse holsters Peacekeeper. From the inner lining of his jacket, he retrieves a cigar, swiftly lighting it and holding it clamped between his teeth. “All I'm after is a spell book,” a half truth, “get me to the heart of the library and I can grab it myself. I think it'll be nice to have someone to cover my ass on the way in.”

“That is all?”

“That's it.”

A demon companion will complicate things, but fighting the both of them will be worse. He's not in a state to take on one demon, let alone two. Hell, he's not even fit enough to look like his own self. He suddenly hopes the slight tilt of his brow doesn't do too much to give away his desperation.

Hanzo nods, a motion more for himself than anyone. “I accept your offer. This book in exchange for your assistance in the library. Understand, however, that if you do not prove loyal to our aid, I will not hesitate to consume your mortal soul.”

Any worry he had melts away, and it takes all of Jesse's willpower to force back the laugh that bubbles up at the mention of his 'mortal soul'. Instead he transfers the energy into delivering what he hopes is a smile more charming than smug. “Wouldn't dream of it, darlin'.”

The demon steps forward, separating himself from Genji and somehow managing to look more imposing alone. “Then I will accompany you in while my brother remains to guard this entrance.”

Genji's body moves with a sigh more forceful than the one he lets into his voice, “ _Brother please, don't leave me out here._ ”

“ _One of us should remain free in the case the other is captured. You do not have to stay, but keep close enough so I may contact you in the case I am compromised. The clan will still need protectors. It is better if they only lose one._ ” The brother replies.

Genji puffs out his chest and huffs softly, “ _Very well._ ”

The brother nods. In a few swift strides, he's over beside Jesse, grabbing the collar of his jacket and tugging him forward. “Move. We have little time to waste.”

“Oh c'mon,” Jesse catches himself gracefully, swinging his hip around so he falls into an even stride with the tall demon, “I'm sure we've got a little time. You haven't even given me the courtesy of your name yet.”

The demon pauses at the edge of the shack's porch, narrowing his eyes at the front door. “You too have failed to provide an introduction.”

“I suppose I haven't,” he shrugs one shoulder, “The name's Jesse.”

The demon pulls back his shoulders. His body begins to shrink down with his clothing following suit. Wings tuck into his back, and his skin lightens from dark gray into a light human tone. His hollow sockets fill with intense brown eyes staring up at him from above the same sharp features. Finally, his incisors shrink down, fully revealing a down-turned curve of his lips. Even though he's taller, the man's harsh scowl gives Jesse the impression he's being looked down on.

“I am Hanzo,” the demon offers at last.

Jesse tears his eyes away from following the curve of the demon's muscular shoulders to tip the brim of the worn hat on his head. “Pleasure to make your acquaintance.” With a swift ram of his elbow, he breaks through the lock and minor magical seal on the shack' door. “Now, would you mind tellin' me exactly what you're after in here?”

“I am here to collect an artifact stolen from my clan,” Hanzo offers vaguely.

“Uh huh,” Jesse strides into the shack, quickly doing a once-over of the nearly bare surroundings. “And what does this 'artifact' _do_ , exactly?”

The demon circles the edge of the room, running a tough, calloused hand over the wood panels of the wall. “That is not of your concern. It is important it is returned to us. That knowledge should be sufficient.”

“Alright, I get it. You like your privacy.” The leather of Jesse's boots groans as he pulls himself into a squat. “Can't say I blame you for it.” He runs the tips of his fingers along the worn grain of the wood floor. Though they're faint, they all appear to point in the same direction, pointing from any part of the room to a patch beside a heavily rusted cast iron stove. Nearly crawling along the floor, he follows the grain to where it converges at a tight knot in the wood. With the base of his palm, he presses against it.

The floor creaks and the shack seems to sway. Boards split, splintering and cracking, opening up like the maw of a great beast. In the dark pit it leaves, a staircase sinks into the ground, spiraling down along the path of a thick central column descending into complete darkness.

“After you,” Jesse offers to the demon as he peels himself away from where he'd taken refuge against the wall.

Hanzo snorts softly, brushing Jesse aside as he strides down the stairs.

Jesse pauses to snuff his cigar and follows suit, keeping close at hand to appear as though he needs guidance navigating the dark stairwell. Might as well keep the human gag going a while longer. Spares him the trouble of having to fight a demon. Not that this demon even really needs fighting to begin with. From what Jesse can tell, he's just in to get what belongs to him. Not to grow more powerful or to find ways to steal the souls of entire cities. Certainly different than a good chunk of demons he's dealt with before. Though the demon's refusal to explain the 'artifact' he's after is still a point of suspicion. Would a creature with good intention really be inclined to secret such knowledge? Jesse'd just have to keep an eye out the closer they get to their completing their quest. If the tide turns and the artifact is revealed to be laced with malicious intent, Jesse is not entirely incapable of at least stopping Hanzo. But whether or not it'll come to that is yet to be seen.

For a while, they descend in silence, the only sound the click of Jesse's boots against the stone steps. The air grows colder, dryer as they head down—optimal conditions for storing spell books. For a moment, Jesse nearly lets his guard down, sure their task will be a quick in and out. Then, he spots it; another trap. This one a shimmering white film stretched over the air of the steps below them. Though if anything, it looks more like a trigger than a trap, so--

It takes one beat too many for him to realize Hanzo can't see it.

“Hanzo, wait!” Jesse calls, reaching out for Hanzo's shoulder. His fingers swipe helplessly at air he falls away from Hanzo, the staircase beneath his feet crumbling and swallowing Jesse, the light, and the world into darkness.

 


	2. The Sewer Beast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Surviving their fall through the first trap, Jesse and Hanzo find themselves quickly facing a new threat.

Jesse's stomach lurches up into his throat as he plunges down the former stairwell. While he's prepared for the fall, the panic he feels is unexpected. He can feel his mind closing off and focusing on one desire; to fly. To spread his wings and save himself. And even though he knows the fall won't kill him, the panic comes from the logical part of his mind. Hitting the ground will have dire consequences. A dead giveaway he's only playing human.  
  
Fortunately, it doesn't last long.  
  
Strong arms with clawed fingers wrap around his torso. In the next instance, a deafening splash echos up the stairwell as Hanzo's feet hit the bottom of a shallow pool of water, easily taking the full impact of the fall, hardly shaking Jesse at all.  
  
In the dark, the markings on Hanzo's skin glow a faint red, illuminating his sharp features. Once again he's in a demon form. Though this time, the wings are missing. What sort of demon can choose weather or not its form has wings?  
  
“Are you injured?” Hanzo asks.  
  
“Nah, I'm fine.” Jesse wriggles in the demon's grasp and easily, Hanzo lets him right himself to the floor. “Thanks for the save.”  
  
“It was necessary.”  
  
Clearly a natural charmer.  
  
Hanzo raises a hand and a small spirit flies forth, taking the shape of a dragon. It's long, writhing, and glowing a brilliant blue bright enough to reveal where they've fallen.  
  
From what Jesse can tell, it's a sewer. Multiple tunnels branch off from a circular room they're in. The walls are high and arched, nearly double the height of Hanzo's over sized demon form. Moss grows along the gray brick walls, and stagnant water glistens in a central channel just barely slimmer than the width of the tunnel. It's eerie quiet too. Not even the sound of water moving or dropping produce a noticeable noise.  
  
Hanzo snorts and wrinkles his nose, likely in response to the smell of wet rot in the air. “How will we know which path leads out?”  
  
Jesse turns in a small circle, looking for some sort of charm or difference in one of the five tunnels. Instead, each is painfully similar, only a difference in moss growth suggesting each exists and is not a product of well placed mirrors. He's not sure he can trust any one. “I don't think we will.”  
  
Hanzo steps forward, getting a closer look at the edge of one tunnel.  
  
“Though.” Jesse turns to a random tunnel, uninterested in wasting time on examination. “I've got a good feeling about this one.”  
  
“Just a feeling?” Hanzo remarks with a growl. “That's all you can offer?”  
  
Jesse shrugs. “Never let me down before.”  
  
Hanzo lingers by his tunnel for a moment before taking off down Jesse's chosen direction.  
  
Jesse follows behind him, grateful the drag of their feet through the water is able to break up the silence. Even if the sound echos off the walls a hundred times like a cacophonous chorus.  
  
“So.” The statement bounces off the walls a bit too loud for Jesse's taste. He lowers his voice and tries again, “So. That other demon back there, he's your brother, yeah?”  
  
Hanzo scoffs at the mention of 'demon', but replies evenly, “Yes.”  
  
“Wasn't aware demons had brothers.”  
  
Hanzo utters a disapproving hum. “Then you have ill knowledge of the dead.”  
  
Jesse chuckles softly, resisting the urge to make a joke about how it's just _some_ of the dead. “I can't argue there. Ignorance is one of the many problems of still livin'.”  
  
He sighs. “So I reckon your mom's a demon too then?”  
  
“Enough.” Hanzo growls, “Is there a purpose to your questions?”  
  
“Just makin' talk.”  
  
“We are here strictly on business. This is not a date.”  
  
“It could be.”  
  
The words are out Jesse's mouth before his brain has a chance to review them. For better or for worse, it's clear his damn subconscious is too busy remembering that attractive human form while failing to remember said form is attached to a 9-foot demon.  
  
Thankfully, he's interrupted before he can attempt a clumsy recovery.  
  
Just as Hanzo turns to chastise him, the whole tunnel shakes with the sound of a mighty roar.  
  
“The hell was that?” Jesse asks to himself.  
  
The water at their feet trembles as a creature nearly as big as the tunnel itself comes barreling toward the small party.  
  
Hanzo growls. “I believe it's the result of your 'good feeling'.”  
  
“Oh very funny.” Jesse widens his stance and whips Peacekeeper from its holster.  
  
Down the tunnel, the creature comes into view. At first, it looks like some kind of dragon, with a long body, sturdy scales, and long, sharp claws at the end of webbed feet. The face, however, is a grotesque distortion of a human's with a sunken skull and a bottom jaw that juts out far beyond the top. It's drool dripping mouth opens, roaring again and jarring Jesse to his core.  
  
Before it can get too close, Hanzo lunges at the beast. Muscular arms contact around the creature's neck, stunning it briefly. With a roar of his own, Hanzo topples the beast to its side.  
  
The creature writhes about in the water, human face screaming as it works to right itself.  
  
While the beast struggles, Hanzo grabs for the skin where its jaw meets his neck. His claws dig against the grain of the scales, but the edges refuse to lift above the skin.  
  
With one arm, the creature swipes at him.  
  
Hanzo moves easily out of the way, bounding gracefully up the creature's shoulder and onto its back. From his pocket, he produces a tiny bow that quickly grows in his hands to a full sized weapon complete with a fully stocked quiver. Armed, Hanzo notches an arrow and takes a shot at the back of the beast's head.  
  
The thing shrieks. It's long body twists around, crashing to the ground, rolling around to dislodge Hanzo.  
  
Nimbly, the demon avoids its attempts, seeming to stay one step ahead as he fires arrow after arrow at its sturdy hide. To no avail.  
  
Jesse shakes out his shoulders. It's his turn.  
  
Raising Peacekeeper, he fires off all six rounds in the chamber directly into the creature's side.  
  
The beast hardly flinches, but Hanzo cries out as a ricocheted bullet lodges itself in his thigh.  
  
“Watch your aim, human!”  
  
In his moment of distraction, the beast takes its chance. Its tail flies around, slamming into Hanzo's side and throwing him against the wall with enough force to form a sizable crater.  
  
Instantly, he crumples like a limp corpse.  
  
Jesse raises his reloaded revolver, firing off another six rounds at the creature's head to get its attention.  
  
Gurgling and growling, the beast rises to its feet, truly agitated, but unharmed as the bullets fall harmlessly into the water alongside useless arrows.  
  
A massive paw swings around, swiping close enough that Jesse swears he can feel its porcelain-smooth surface.  
  
Instinctual, Jesse reloads his gun.  
  
From behind him, a blinding blue light fills the tunnel.  
  
The creature staggers back, crying out. Awkwardly, it backs away, working to regain its senses in the bombardment of light.  
  
Jesse risks a glance over his shoulder.  
  
Behind him, the little spirit dragon of Hanzo's has grown significantly and split into two, it's combined size great enough to fill the entirety of the tunnel.  
  
“Well damn,” Jesse breaths out.  
  
“Jesse!” Hanzo's over sized hand grabs his torso, yanking him back as pointed teeth snap at where he'd just stood.  
  
Panting heavily, Hanzo drags him back further, all the way through the wall of spirit dragons to where he braces himself against the wall behind them.  
  
Instantly, the spirits surge forward. At the base of the tunnel, the standing water rushes forward, building up into a churning wall behind the spirits.  
  
Hanzo hoists Jesse higher, hugging him close to his chest. Here, it's obvious just how ragged the demon's breathing really is.  
  
And it's just in time.  
  
Electricity cackles through the water, shooting up the wall and blasting through the tunnel with an unearthly roar.  
  
All at once it collides with the monster.  
  
The entirety of the tunnel shakes violently. The ground sways and dust falls from the walls. In a stunning flash, the spirits disappear, a thick fog settling in their wake, plunging the space into a dark, dense silence.  
  
From the dark spits a gurgling moan.  
  
Through the haze of dust, the great beast struggles to unsteady legs. Foam drips from its mouth, its breathing wet and raspy. It's trembling, but it's very much alive.  
  
Hanzo's grip tightens around Jesse's chest.  
  
They're running out of options.  
  
“Hanzo, put me down.”  
  
The demon's claws dig into the fabric of Jesse's flannel. “Don't be foolish.”  
  
The breast shudders. Then it jerks forward, regaining movement like an awakened automaton.  
  
Jesse presses against Hanzo's arm with his free hand. “Put me down, dammit.”  
  
Hanzo gives him one last squeeze before dropping him to his hands and knees into the shallow water. “If you die, I cannot save you.”  
  
Jesse coughs to open up his tightening chest. “Wasn't plannin' on it.”  
  
As he rises, the beast rears.  
  
Through the dust, his sight is mottled. Not even his best eye can see details through the haze. He'll have to wait for it to get close. Too close.  
  
He flicks open the chamber on his revolver. With his left hand, he takes a bullet from his pocket, rubbing it between rebuilt fingers until the tip glows white. Easily, it slides into position, closes, and prepares to fire.  
  
Just in time.  
  
The creature gurgles and roars. In a slithering motion like a centipede, it rushes him, moving with rage-fueled speed.  
  
Hanzo backs away, moving closer to the tunnel wall to avoid being run down.  
  
Jesse holds steady.  
  
The beast barrels forward, racing closer and closer until it's right up on him, mouth and ghastly eyes open wide.  
  
Jesse fires.  
  
The creature shrieks, plunging forward, heavy body crashing and sending what little water's in the tunnel flying.  
  
Jesse's prepared. As it falls, he lunges out of the way, safely rolling into the tunnel wall beside it as its hulking form grinds to a stop.  
  
Light floods back into the small space as the little spirit dragon returns, once again no bigger than a rattlesnake.  
  
From where Jesse lays panting, he can see Hanzo nudging the still beast with his bow.  
  
Nothing.  
  
Jesse hauls himself to his feet. His knee aches, adorned with a noticeably bad bruise he picked up during his roll. Not that it really matters. It'll be gone within the hour.  
  
Swiftly, he joins Hanzo in climbing atop the creature.  
  
His bullet's hit its mark; right through the eye. Where it entered is completely seared and distorted, looking like an open sore, but lacking the bleeding that'd come with it. The back of the beast's head tells the same story with the bullet going all the way through eye and brain and skull.  
  
Jesse's stomach clenches. It's more than he'd intended to do. “Looks like it's stronger on the outside.” He manages in a forces easy tone.  
  
Hanzo brushes a claw against the wound. “So it would seem.” He rolls his shoulders back. “It's fortunate your brash actions paid off.”  
  
Jesse blows a breath out through his nose. “Don't have to tell me twice.”  
  
Hanzo brushes past him, walking down the creature's length and toward the unexplored section of tunnel. “Let us continue. A way forward is the best course of action.”  
  
“Whatever you say, darlin',” Jesse chuckles, “so long as whatever trap we run into next is on your hands.”  
  
Hanzo merely sneers and moves on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, I'm kinda getting back into writing fanfiction with this one so it's kind of short. I'm probably gonna be wrapped up with nanowrimo relating to my original content, but I think I'm gonna come back and work on this further come December. Next chapter should be longer and more, interesting(I think at least)


End file.
